


I Want to Know What Love is

by Rainbow_Foxes



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batcest, Crushes, Jason Todd is Robin, JayTim Week, JayTim Week 2020, M/M, Meet-Cute, Stalker Tim Drake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24580849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbow_Foxes/pseuds/Rainbow_Foxes
Summary: Fill forJayTim Week 2020Day 3 prompt: First Love.Tim Drake has been seeing Jason Todd in passing for 10 minutes a day, five days a week, for the past eight months. And it's driving himnuts.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Comments: 15
Kudos: 238
Collections: JayTimWeek





	I Want to Know What Love is

**Author's Note:**

> Edit 06/07/2020: minor formatting corrections.

Tim would like the record to state that he is emphatically _not_ a stalker. If he was, he’d have all his photos of ~~Jason~~ Robin up on his walls like the bad guys on _Criminal Minds_ do, or a creepy shrine hidden in his closet. But all his photos are in albums hidden under his bed, and he only has one batarang that Robin threw tucked into his sock drawer. 

So, Tim is not a stalker.

But he certainly feels like one as he spots Jason in the crowded hallways of Gotham Academy yet again. He never goes looking for Jason outside the costume — it’s too tempting, too risky — but something about the older boy always draws his attention. Maybe it’s the way he moves through the swarming masses like he belongs there; not pushing his way through like the parting of the sea, but instead weaving his way along like a fish swims among the bustling reefs. Or maybe it’s the way the April sun brings out the subtle undertones in his dark hair, turning it a stunning deep red that he never would have seen if he only witnessed the boy in the dark smog of Gotham nights. 

He never had this problem with Dick, but that’s probably because he rarely saw Dick outside of Robin. He had been in the 3rd grade while Dick was in the 11th, and as such their paths only crossed at the galas and parties they were both forced to attend, and even then they never spoke more than an obligatory greeting to each other.

But with Jason it’s different. Tim comes up to the middle school section of the campus for his science course and while they don’t share any classes, there are two five-minute long periods of time that Tim can catch a glimpse of the older boy between bells. Those ten minutes a day are enough to make him aware of Jason’s existence in a way that feels more real than any of his late night excursions ever did. 

Suddenly, Robin is not just a subject for him to capture on his camera or an idol forever swinging out of his reach, but a real boy who never lingers in the hallways between classes and keeps a well loved copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ close at hand. Ten minutes a day, fifty minutes a week, and not a single conversation in eight months was all it took for Robin to stop being _Robin_ and start being _Jason._ And it’s all Tim can think about. Now he wonders why Jason rushes to his next class so quickly, and how he learned to move so fluidly, and if his hair bleaches red in the summer sun, and what’s made him read one novel dozens of times.

He looked it up, and according to the internet, lots of people’s hair lightens when they spend a lot of time outside. He wonders how light Jason’s hair can get, if he’ll only get to a brown-red or if his hair will bleach all the way to what he thinks is called a strawberry blond. Will he dye it so no one can link him to Robin? It’d make sense, but Tim doesn’t want him to.

He’d checked out _Pride and Prejudice_ from the library too, but he doesn’t get it. Why is how Mr. Darcy manages his estate so important? Why doesn’t Mr. Bennet just change how the land passes down? That’s what his Mom would do, if it wasn’t going her way. The writing is nice though, and he can see why some people would like it even if he doesn’t.

Tim is so caught up in thinking about the _Mysteries of Jason_ , as he’d been calling them in his head, that he doesn’t notice how his feet carry him after said boy. At least, not until he trips over someone’s foot and goes crashing to the floor, books and pencil case fanning out around him like a childish imitation of blood splatter. 

The crowd breaks out into giggles and the heat of a blush makes itself known as it crawls up his neck and over his cheeks. He scrambles to pick up his things among the laughter, eyes firm on the floor and throat thick with embarrassment. Someone starts helping him, but he doesn’t look up at them. He thinks his favorite pen has rolled in among the crowd and he doesn’t want to crawl around their feet looking for it.

He’s spared that humiliation as the pen, a cheap thing with a Batman pattern and a penlight at the end that he found in a bodega one night while following the man, is held in front of him by a hand. He follows the hand up to a face and —

_I want to know what love is, I want you to show me_

_I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me_

It’s Jason, and Tim swears he hears that song that plays in all the movies when the main character falls in love at first sight. This is the closest he’s ever been to the other boy, and for the first time he can make out a smattering of freckles around his eyes, and gosh his _eyes._ They’re the exact same shade of blue-green as the Statue of Liberty and they’re so _expressive._ Tim can read concern in them clear as day, but he doesn’t know for who. Why would Jason be —

“Kid, can you hear me? Are’ya alright?”

Oh. Jason is concerned for _him._

Tim scrambles to answer “I’m fine! I’m good, I’m good. Just um, a little...” Embarrassed? Awestruck? About to have a heart attack because ~~Robin~~ _Jason_ is talking to him?

Jason’s brow furrows, and his thought process is so clear on his face that Tim can tell he’s made a decision moments before he follows through. He gathers up the last of Tim’s things before firmly taking his hand and guiding him up to a standing position. 

“Let’s get'cha to the nurse’s office. Even if you aren’t hurt, a lie down will help you calm down.” With that he loops an arm around Tim’s shoulders and leads him out of the crowd.

This close, Tim can tell that Jason isn’t that much taller than him, despite being three years older. He finds that he likes it, because it means that he can look at Jason without hurting his neck. 

It’s a short walk to the nurse’s office, made almost entirely in silence. Tim feels so awkward, but Jason doesn’t seem to mind. Tim tries to say something, opens his mouth and everything, but words just don’t want to come out. What can he say to Jason that doesn’t make him sound like an idiot or a dumb little kid?

The bell rings as they stop outside the office door, and Jason finally takes his arm from around Tim. He misses the heat and the weight, but he obviously can’t say that. 

Instead he says, “Sorry for making you late.”

Jason waves him off “S’fine, Ms. Jones is pretty chill. I’m ahead in English anyways.” A beat passes, and then, “Did you want me to stay with you?”

 _Yes,_ “No no, it’s fine, I’m fine.” He carefully takes his things from Jason, making sure not to grab any of the older boy’s belongings in the shuffle, “Thank you, though. For before, and walking me here, and offering. I’m just going to read for a little,” He waves his copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ in the air for emphasis, “And calm down. But thank you, again. I’m sorry I was a bother.”

“No bother at all, Kid. And you’ve got great taste in books.” Jason taps the cover of his own copy with a grin. “I’ll catch you later. Look out for yourself, alright?” With that Jason turned to leave.

“Tim.” Jason turns back around to look at him, “My name is Tim. Tim Drake.” Jason gives him a wide smile, one more subdued than the ones in Tim’s pictures, but _amazing_ all the same.

“Jason Todd. See you around, Tim.” He leaves with a wave, and Tim leans back against the door, finger between his teeth to fight off a fit of the giggles.

Jason had _touched_ him. _Robin_ knew his name!

He pulls off from the door and goes into the nurse’s office. He’ll stay here until lunch, he decides. He’s going to need the time if he’s going to have a hope of getting _Pride and Prejudice_ , after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know what you think, any and all comments are appreciated. I can be found on tumblr [here](https://rainbowfoxes.tumblr.com/) if you want to chat.  
> Happy JayTim Week!


End file.
